Photograph of mold growth in Nathan Hale High School, Seattle, Washington.
Water damage, plus Stachybotrys mold growth in the technology classroom of Nathan Hale High School in Seattle, Washington.

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Other Related Links

Please visit other school mold pages:
[School-Mold-Problem] [School-Mold-Health-Symptoms] [School-Mold-Inspection-Testing]

New Medical Study Links Damp School Buildings to
Respiratory Health Problems for Teachers and Students

“An association between working and/or residing in damp buildings and respiratory health has been reported in a number of studies…Longtime exposure to building dampness may increase the risk for hyperreactivity of the upper air-ways. This acquired hyperreactivity may last for years and decrease only slowly, even after the indoor climate has been properly improved.”---from the study conclusion of Stig Rudblad of the famous Karolinska Medical Institute of Stockholm Sweden, in the medical research study “Nasal mucosal reactivity after long-time exposure to building dampness,” published on October 15, 2004, by the Institute. [The human subjects in the study were teachers and students in school buildings with known dampness problems, as compared to a control group of teachers and students in buildings with no known moisture problems.]

Suits filed against Florida school boards
Washington Times newspaper, March 3, 2004

WASHINGTON, March 2 (UPI) -- The law firm of Babbitt, Johnson, Osborne & Le Clainche Tuesday announced it had filed 11 suits over alleged toxic mold in two Florida schools.

The suits were filed against the Charlotte and Sarasota County school boards and contractors and builders by parents who assert their children got sick as a result of the school systems' failure to address mold problems.

These are the first major suits on mold in schools on Florida's west coast, but are preceded by similar suits in Broward County.

In April 2003, a Broward County grand jury issued a report condemning the Broward School District for lagging in its efforts to get rid of mold. The county responded by launching a comprehensive remediation program but still was sued by parents concerned with their children's health.

State Sen. Skip Campbell of Coral Springs has introduced a legislative bill to make Broward's program mandatory statewide.

Parents push for more mold tests in Spring-Ford school

Sarah V. Sando , Special to The Mercury newspaper, Philadelphia, Pa.

03/13/2004

ROYERSFORD -- Some parents in the Spring-Ford Area School District are still not satisfied with the district’s air-quality testing.

Karl and Associates, a private environmental firm in Mohnton, Berks County, conducted air-quality testing of all district schools in early 2002. According to the firm’s findings, the schools tested have not been found to have hazardous levels of microbes, including mold.

But a few parents want more testing done, especially in the middle school.

Spring-Ford Superintendent Genevieve Coale said the district has followed the recommendations of Karl and Associates, including improving filter efficiency in heating and air-conditioning units and limiting the use of house plants.

"We’ve tested and retested and retested," Coale said. "They haven’t, in any instance, said to me, ‘There is mold here, and we want you to clean it up.’"

But parent Polly Moore Keyser isn’t satisfied.

Keyser’s daughter, Sarah Moore, suffered six sinus infections, three cases of strep throat, a three-month bout with bronchitis and a serious case of pneumonia over eight months during the 2002-03 school year.

"Sarah has been treated on a regular basis for perennial allergies and asthma, complicated by a history of recurrent sinusitis and asthmatic bronchitis," said Wendy Fuhr, Sarah’s pediatrician. "These episodes have grown increasingly frequent and severe over the last year, since Sarah has been attending the middle school."

According to Fuhr, Sarah’s condition has been exacerbated by the presence of mold in her school.

"To have there be a concern or an unsafe level of fungi, there has to be a statistically higher concentration indoors," said Lisa Krug, a senior industrial hygienist and safety specialist for Karl and Associates. "Samples we took from several random areas of the schools do not show a statistically higher concentration."

The testing involved taking samples of indoor areas and comparing the concentrations of airborne microbes with outdoor samples.

"We found in later testing that the cladosporium had grown," Keyser said. "I talked to the school board to report the problem, and they just looked at me like I was from outer space."

Keyser urged the school district to take action.

"The bad mold found in the middle school should be enough of a catalyst to close and completely clean the school," Keyser said. "The cover-up and dishonesty should not be allowed to continue."

Coale said the district routinely checks the schools as a preventive measure.

Coale said that on the recommendations of Karl and Associates, the district has investigated options to improve humidity qualities in the schools.

Several parents have requested that the district perform wall-boring testing, which would involve drilling holes into the walls and taking samples for testing.

"It’s a 10-second procedure," said Barbara Hagan, who believes her son suffers from asthma as a result of black mold in Spring-Ford Intermediate School. "I even offered to pay for it myself ..(including) the wall repairs after the wall boring."

Coale said the district is not willing to conduct wall-boring testing.

Spring-Ford plans to close the middle school in June. Beginning this fall, middle school students will attend the new flex school on Lewis Road, and the current middle school will be renovated.

School Mold Problems

          Q. Use of carpet in schools has become somewhat of a controversial issue. Could you offer comments on the benefits/risks of carpet in schools? [Jan. 8, 2005]
          A. For the sake of occupant health, carpeting and padding should not be used in schools, other commercial buildings, apartment buildings, condominiums, and homes to deny mold food to eat and a place to hide [hidden mold growth is a huge problem]. The best floors for mold prevention are concrete [with adequate amounts of waterproofing compound in the concrete mix], marble [set in cement with waterproofing compound], ceramic tile floors [set in cement with waterproofing compound, and as the tile grout], and vinyl tiled floors. If new concrete floors are being poured, in addition to waterproofing inside the concrete mix, there should be a thick, highest quality water moisture prevention membrane [not just plastic sheeting] installed beneath the concrete to prevent ground moisture from wicking up through the concrete.
         Q. I am writing this letter because I am very concerned about the Elementary School [Baltimore, Maryland] my children attend. A letter was distributed today that mold has been found in their library and it was being "cleaned". I entered the library and the mold smell took my breath away. Upon picking up one of the books, I realized the pages contained a green dusty substance. It is my belief that the school is covering up a problem greater than they want to admit. Several students have had unexplained nose bleeds, rashes, mouth sores and a teacher recently had a respiratory infection associated with mold. This is not the first outbreak of mold in our school. At a recent PTA meeting, the Principal was asked if the mold had been taken care of in the Kindergarten class rooms and she replied "yes". Failing to mention that it was now a problem in the library. Can you please point me in the right direction to have our school analyzed? The school will not provide documents stating what kind of mold it is nor do I believe they are effectively handling the problem. Apparently, the school feels, you can just wash away the mold. Please offer any advise you can [October 20, 2003].
       A. If you so approve and desire, we can post your email [including the actual Baltimore school name and address that have been deleted in this posting of your question] on our websites to help persuade your children's school to do safe and effective mold inspection, testing, and remediation, and to stop harming the students' and staff's health by having them study and work in mold infestation. It would help your cause big-time if you would use our do it yourself mold test kits to do your own testing of your children's classrooms and outward air flow form the heating or cooling duct register in your child's classroom. Once you have back our mold laboratory results documenting a serious mold problem, you cold then send a certified letter demanding action to the school principal, school board members, school superintendent, local health department, county education department, state health department, your state's Occupational and Safety Administration [OHSA], and the local news media [newspapers, radio and TV stations]. The children and staff should be transferred to mold-safe quarters until the school has been safely and effectively mold inspected, tested, and remediated in every classroom, restroom, library, etc. You should also read the new book Mold Legal Guide [Mold Mart]

For more toxic mold school questions and advice please visit the following links:

[School-Mold-Problem] [School-Mold-Health-Symptoms] [School-Mold-Inspection-Testing]

[Home] [Homeowner-Mold-Analysis] [Home-Selling-Buying-Mold] [Legal Liability]

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